Ice-tongs



(No Model.) J. BRINKERHOFP.

ICE TONGS.

No. 438,128. Patented 001;. 7, 1890.ky

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NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JACOB BRINKERHOFF, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

ICE-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 435,128, dated October '7, 1890.

Application filed April I9, 1890. Serial No. 348,605. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB BRINKERHOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in ice- -tongsg and it consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and fully disclosed in the following specification and claim.

The drawing shows in isometric perspective a pair of ice-tongs embodying my invention.

In the use of ice-tongs in handling small quantities of ice much inconvenience and loss has been experienced from the fact that when a piece of ice is seized by the ordinary tongs it is impossible to get such a grasp that the ice will not turn or swing upon the points of the tongs, such turning or swinging often loosening the hold, so that the ice will drop and break, resulting in loss. The shape of the block of ice is often such that the tongs will hold it if the position of the block as first siezed can be maintained, but if permitted to turn will fall. The construction of the ordinary tongs is such that ice grasped by them cannot be prevented from hanging on the points of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a pair of ice-tongs which will grasp any block of ice, and which will hold it from turning upon its prongs or points. To this end, I provide one of the arms of the tongs with two points and the other with a single point, and which is intermediate the points of the opposing arm. This construction provides a pair of tongs which will engage each block of ice at three points, all in substantially the same plane, and which engagement will prevent the turning of the ice while it is in the grasp of the tongs.

In the drawing, A A designate the two arms of the tongs pivoted together at in the usual manner. The upper portions of these arms are formed into handles B B, as usual. One of the lower arms is provided with two prongs a a, at a suitable dist-ance apart, one each side of the longitudinal center of the arm and preferably at equal distances from the same. The opposing arm has only one prong a', and which is in line with the longitudinal center of the arm.

The above-described tongs will be found especially effective and desirable in handling small pieces of ice, as in retail trade and family use. The blocks or pieces of ice have usually angles and corners, and it is difficult to grasp them with the ordinary single-pointed tongs orwith tongs having' opposed prongs, as two of the prongs opposed to each other will frequently form a pivot on which theice will turn and swing out of the grasp of the tongs themselves. By the use of my improved construction I am enabled to securely grasp almost any form of block or piece of ice large enough to engage all three prongs, as the single prong bein g located between the two opposingprongs never makes with either a pivot on which the ice can swing or turn; but this intermediate single prong forces the ice against the two other prongs, and the ice being consequently engaged by the threeprongs at different points in one horizontal plane, the block or piece cannot turn but can be handled and carried securely and safely.

I claim- An ice-tongs one arm of which has ice-engaging prongs connected therewith and held from rotary movement in respect thereto, said prongs projecting inwardly from said arm out of line with the longitudinal center thereof, and the other arm having a prong projecting substantially from the longitudinal center of the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB BRINKERl-IOFF.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. PREVOST, L. P. WHrTAKnR. 

